Marking device



April 12, 1938. G. WEYMOUTH MARKING DEVICE I 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR lltl Filed Sept. 11; 1935 L m6. BY f 17 727 ATTORNEY w April 12, 1938. G WEYMO TH 2313,2567.

MARKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 11, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ENVENTOR 1.5.51. IE 6. Wzwvour ATT RNEY April 12, 1938.

| G. WEYMOUTH MARKiNG DEVICE OUT 9 MH I LVN 1 E l w h v ,9

INVENTOF. L5 .6 W

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ATTO NEY Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED stares rarest orrlcs 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in stamping or marking machines, and'has particular reference to a novel form of mechanism for marking packaged goods.

It has become the general practice to place comestibles and other products on the market in packaged form, and to apply thereto distinguishing brands or labels according to whom the pack aged products are sold to be marketed. Before the labels or brands are applied to the packages, however, a distinguishing mark or means of identification is applied thereto by the packer or canner to indicate the character and quality of the contents, the date of packaging and, in fact,

any other descriptive marking which may be desirable to place upon the containers prior'to labeling. This identifying inscription or mark is 'usually placed upon the container at the time the product is packaged, the mechanism for applying the mark to the container being located in juxtaposition to a closing machine or conveyor so that the containers may be marked as they are moved therepast.

Marking devices in use heretofore have been operated by impulses transmitted thereto by the movement therepast of the articles to be marked. The article, in passing, engaged a wheel or disc I to whiclrwas attached the marking type. Rtaalternating current.

tion of the disc by the moving article brought the type into engagement with the article. This method of actuating the marking device has resulted in blurring the mark, and in failure to contact each and every article, or in misplacing the mark on the article.

To overcome these objections, applicant has invented a markingdevice whichemploys electrical energy as the medium for actuating the marking type. The invention utilizes a solenoid to which electrical energy is transmitted by direct current, as it has been found that the solenoid becomes heated when repeatedly energized by The flow of electrical energy to the solenoid is controlled by a switch, the contact points thereof being closed and opened in timed relation to the travel of the articles to be marked. In this manner the marking device is positively actuated to mark each article, instead of being impelled solely by the travel therepast of articles to be marked. l

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide a mechanism for automatically applying distinguishing marks to each of a succession of containers of packaged products.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism which will positively actuate a marking device to cause said marking device to contact each of a succession of articles to be marked.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and the general arrangement ofparts, the whole being hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; the particular features of novelty being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a perspective View of a marking device embodying the present invention, illustrating the manner in which the mercury switch is closed to transmit electrical energy to the solenoid, and also illustrating the position of the type; holder and type when in contact with an article to be marked.

Figure II is a front detail elevation of the device illustrated in Figure I, the positions of the respective parts being the same as in Figure I.

Figure III is a sectional elevation of the device taken along the line 3- 45 of Figure II and illustrating (in full lines) the normal or rest position of the type holder, and (in dotted lines) its second position at the moment the solenoid is energized.

Figure IV is a fragmentary side elevation of the type holder illustrating the spring-controlled mechanism for holding the type in place.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a frame E so disposed as to support the marking device in superposed relation to a runway 2, which may be of any desired configuration. The marking device disclosed in the drawings is illustrated as being associated with a canway, such as is ordinarily used in a cannery to convey cans from a double seamer to a cooker.

In its, preferred form, the inventive concept includes a solenoid 3, mounting the plunger 4 of which, in a manner presently to be described, is the marking device. The solenoid 3 is energized to actuate the marking device by electrical energy transferred thereto by meansof a mercury switch, which is closed and opened by means of a trip lever 6 projecting into the path of articles: to be marked. An inking'roll l, rotatably supported upon a pair of depending arms 8, intercepts the arc of movement of the marking device to ink the printing type 9.

The plunger 4 of the solenoid 3 is of soft iron,- as is usual in such construction. A bronze rod forms an extension of the plunger 4 andproe jects through the base of the solenoid 3. This bronze rod 4' is secured to the plunger 4 of the solenoid 3 as indicated in dotted lines in Figures I and III, and serves to break the magnetic field at a point to procure the maximum downward thrust of the plunger 4 when the solenoid is energized. Pivotally secured to the lower end of the bronze rod 4' is a webbed lever arm H3 inter connecting the bronze rod 4 and the type holder H, the lever arm ill being secured to the bronze rod d and to the type holder H as by bolts or rods I2 and I3, respectively. The type holder H is pivotally mounted on a frame M, the latter being slidable vertically of the frame I upon guide rods l5 in response to the action of the solenoid 3.

In its rest position the type holder is maintained in an approximately horizontal position by means of a spring it connected at one end to a tab it On the type holder H, and at its other end to a projection of the frame I. The lever arm i0 is secured to the type holder II in such manner as to cause the latter to oscillate upon the frame M, the mounting of the lever arm ill upon the type holder Ii being eccentric to the axis of rotation of the type holder. The initial thrust of the plunger 4 of the solenoid 3 causes the lever arm 10 to swing the type holder H from its horizontal position to a vertical position with the type lowermost. These relative positions are illustrated in Figure III, the vertical position being shown in dotted lines. Further downward thrust of the solenoid plunger 4 moves the frame 14 and type holder Ii downward to the limit of the full thrust of the plunger 4 to enable the type to contact the article to be marked. When the flow of electrical energy to the solenoid is arrested, the frame I4 is returned to its raised or normal position by means of a spring II, and the type holder H is raised to horizontal or rest position by the spring I6. Thus the movement of the type holder is (1) from horizontal through approximately degrees to vertical, and (2) downward to contact the article to be marked, downward movement being under .force of the solenoid and against the resistance -of the springs l6 and H.

The return to rest position is upward from contact with the marked article, and then back through 90 degrees to horizontal, the upward movements being effected by means of the springs l6 and II.

The inking roller 1 is carried by the pair of depending arms 8 and is so positioned that its periphery intercepts the are through which the typeholder H moves from horizontal position to vertical position. The inking roller 1 is maintained in position to offer a resilient inking surface to the passing type by means of a pair of springs is, each having one end attached to one of the depending arms 8 and the other end to an arm l9. A set screw 20 is threaded through the arm I9 and forms a stop for the depending arms 8 to insure proper spacing of the inking roller '5 from the path of the type holder H.

The type 9 is secured to the type blocks 9 in the usual manner, the type blocks 9' being cushioned as by sponge rubber blocks 24 to form a resilient seat for the type and so prevent its being flattened out by pressure against the article being marked. Spring clips 25 serve to hold the type blocks 9' against a central partition ll of the type holder I l, by means of which the type holder may be equipped with one or two type bars, as desired. It will be noted that the ends of the type blocks 9 are provided with grooves, as at 26, into which extend the flanged ends of a pair of spring clips 2?. These grooves are of greater width than the thickness of the clip flanges and permit the type blocks to be pressed inwardly against the rubber blocks 24 so as to present a resilient contact with the article being marked. By compressing the spring clips 21 to remove the clip flanges from the grooves 26 in the ends of the type blocks 9, the type blocks may be removed from the type holder so as to be interchangeable with type blocks bearing differing types.

It will be noted that one side of the forward portion of the runway 2 has been cut away, thus causing the conveyed package to tip over on its side after being acted upon by the marking device. In the illustrated embodiment the cans are marked upon their top ends and then caused to tip over on their sides and roll along the conveyer into the cookers. As the marked packages tip over they depress the trip lever B which, by means of links 2| and 22, tips the box 23 containing a mercury switch to cause the mercury to close the svn'tch and so transfer electrical energy to the solenoid. As the package is conveyed along the runway it releases the trip lever 6 and the weight of the links 21 and 22 cause the mercury switch box 23 to tip back to normal position, thus breaking the circuit and arresting the flow therethrough of electrical energy.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts, and in the sequence and duration of steps and operations within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a can marking device, a canway over which cans are advanced in upright position, a solenoid mounted above and in juxtaposition to said canway, a marking device mounting the plunger of said solenoid and extensible and retractible therewith, and means operating in timed relation to the travel of said cans along said canway to energize said solenoid to cause said marking'device to engage the upper surface of each of said cans, and an inking roll positioned to intercept the path of movement of said marking device for inking the same prior to engagement with each can.

2. In a can marking device, a canway over which cans are advanced in upright position, a solenoid mounted above and in juxtaposition to said canway, a marking device under the control of said solenoid, a switch, means interposed in the path of cans passing along said canway to operate said switch in timed relation to the travel of cans along said canway whereby said marking device is brought into engagement with an end portion of each of said cans, and an inking roll positioned to intercept the path of movement of said marking device for inking the same prior to engagement with each can.

3. A marking device disposed above a con-V veyor over which packages to be marked are conveyed, comprising a solenoid, a type holder pivotally mounting the plunger of said solenoid, a

type bar mounted in said type holder, said type holder being normally positioned in a horizontal plane above said conveyor and being movable from said horizontal position into operative position and then downward into engagement with the upper surface of a package to be marked. and

or over which packages to'be marked are conveyed, comprising a solenoid; a switch for controlling the flow of electrical energy to energize said solenoid; a type holder normally positioned in a horizontal plane above said conveyor, a type bar mounted in said type holder, mechanism in- 10 eluding said solenoid for moving the type holder from horizontal position into vertical position over a package to be marked and thereafter downward to cause the type to contact the upper surface of said package, means to return the type holder into inoperative horizontal position when the flow of electrical energy to said solenoid is arrested, and means under control of packages passing along said conveyor for actuating said switch.

LESLIE G'. WEYMOUTH. 

